LouisianaLocal courts share authority over many impaired-driving cases
Louisiana law lets local courts hear many impaired-driving cases, while third or later offenses must go to district court.
What it does
City, parish, and municipal courts share authority over many impaired-driving cases. Third or later offenses must go to district court, and mayors' courts cannot hear them.
In criminal cases involving intoxication or impairment, courts must admit certain chemical-test records, including breath-test instrument recertification forms.
In cases charged as vehicular negligent injuring or first-degree vehicular negligent injuring, a jury may find the person guilty of operating a vehicle while intoxicated or impaired.
Argument forSharing authority with local courts could give prosecutors and defendants another place to handle many impaired-driving cases, while serious repeat cases stay in district court.
Argument againstCounting some local ordinance convictions as prior offenses could expose a person to harsher treatment in a later state impaired-driving case.
More detail
City, parish, and municipal courts share authority with district courts over many impaired-driving cases. This covers cases based on operating a vehicle while intoxicated or impaired in city, parish, or municipal courts. A local ordinance used for these cases must include the standards, parts, and sentences of the state impaired-driving offense. Third or later offenses must be prosecuted in district court, where the defendant has a right to a jury trial. Mayors' courts cannot hear these cases. The law took effect August 1, 2026.
Courts must admit certain chemical-test records as evidence. This applies in criminal cases where intoxication or impairment is an issue, including records about blood, urine, breath, or other bodily substances. The records must be made under the cited testing law or relate to chemical analysis of a person's bodily substance. The law took effect August 1, 2026.
A jury may return an impaired-driving verdict in certain vehicle-injury cases. This applies when the charge is vehicular negligent injuring or first-degree vehicular negligent injuring. The law took effect August 1, 2026.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Jun 8Signed by the Governor Jeff Landry. Becomes Act No. 812.Became Law
- Jun 8Effective date: 08/01/2026.
- Jun 2Sent to the Governor for executive approval.To Governor
- Jun 1Enrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.Minor
- Jun 1Signed by the President of the Senate.
- May 31Conference Committee Report read, roll called, yeas 95, nays 0. The Conference Committee Report was adopted.
- Vote recorded ADOPT (#1601). Result: pass.Upper
- Vote recorded ADOPT CONFERENCE REPORT (#1788). Result: pass.Lower
- May 31Notice House adopted the Conference Committee Report.
- May 31Conference Committee Report read; adopted by a vote of 35 yeas and 0 nays.
- May 31Notice of Senate adoption of Conference Committee Report.
- May 29Notice of Senate conferees appointed.
- May 29Conference Committee report received. Lies over under the rules.
- May 29Conference committee report received.
- May 29Scheduled for floor debate on 05/31/2026.
- May 28House conferees appointed: Bryant, Villio, and Bacala.
- May 28Senate conference committee members appointed: Myers, Cloud, and Kleinpeter.
- May 28Notice House Conference Committee members appointed.
- May 27Read by title, roll called, yeas 97, nays 0, Senate amendments rejected, conference committee appointment pending.
- Vote recorded REJECT SENATE AMENDMENTS (#1595). Result: pass.Lower
- May 27Notice House rejected the Senate amendments.
- May 26Scheduled for concurrence on 05/27/2026.
- May 25Received from the Senate with amendments.Minor
- May 21Rules suspended. Senate floor amendments read and adopted. Read by title, passed by a vote of 36 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.Passed Senate
- Vote recorded FINAL PASSAGE (#1140). Result: pass.Upper
- May 14Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.Minor
- May 13Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
- May 12Reported favorably.Minor
- Mar 31Read second time by title and referred to the Committee on Judiciary C.Minor
- Mar 30Received in the Senate. Read first time by title and placed on the Calendar for a second reading.Minor
- Mar 25Read third time by title, amended, roll called on final passage, yeas 102, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.Passed House
- Vote recorded FINAL PASSAGE (#98). Result: pass.Lower
- Mar 23Read by title, amended, ordered engrossed, passed to 3rd reading.Minor
- Mar 23Scheduled for floor debate on 03/25/2026.
- Mar 18Reported with amendments (12-0).Minor
- Mar 9Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice.Minor
- Feb 27First appeared in the Interim Calendar on 2/27/2026.
- Feb 26Prefiled.Minor
- Feb 26Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice.Introduced
Criminal JusticePublic Safety